President Uhuru Kenyatta has committed to donate Ksh 1 million towards offsetting the medical bill of former Kenya Rugby Sevens coach Benjamin Ayimba.
The 45-year-old who is popularly known as Benja was admitted at Nairobi hospital three weeks ago.
Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja shared the news in his Twitter page thanking the president while urging other leaders to chip in.
"Let's keep at it. #turnupforbenja. Thank you H.E Uhuru for the ksh1 M. Kindly @RailaOdinga @WilliamRuto @MusaliaMudavadi join in," he urged.
The Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) made a public medical funds appeal for Ayimba's bill that now stands at ksh2.5 million.
"Benja has been in and out of hospital since late 2020 following a cerebral Malaria diagnosis. His condition has deteriorated rapidly and he needs our help more than ever.
"We are appealing to all well-wishers to help contribute towards getting him the best medical treatment possible and back on his feet again," read a statement by the KRU
Ayimba who is celebrated for his role in sports served as the country's Rugby team captain in the Kenya Sevens and 15s team and was first appointed Shujaa head coach in 2006. Three years later, he led the country to its first World Series Cup Final in Adelaide, Australia where the team lost to South Africa.
In 2011, he was fired after opposing the fielding of the team's main players at the Safaricom Sevens in November that year.
Ayimba made a comeback in 2015 and in 2016, Kenya recorded its first tournament win in the World Rugby Sevens Series after beating Fiji at the 2016 Singapore Sevens under his leadership.
He was appointed as a technical director of the Rugby League Federation in 2020. He was tasked with developing Kenya Rugby League technical status at all levels and formulation of a high-performance plan for players, coaches, referees, and officials.
